Field of Invention
This invention generally relates to so-called automatic page-turning apparatus, and more specifically it relates to those types of devices which may be deployed upon a music-stand or piano's shelf as to operate in a manner transfering individual sheets of stacked paper sequentially in a vertical gravity-transfering manner.
Heretofore, it has largely been the practice for some designers of sheet-music handling apparatus to try to adapt the mechanism involved to fit the format of either sheet-music or a music-book, principally involving the notion of over-turning pages 180-degrees in some manner generally from right-to-left.
Background research discovery provides some prior patent-art, which are however impractical regarded as at least remotely germane to this disclosure, chronologically for example U.S. Pat. No. 2,484,06 (filed: April 1946) shows use of a motorized windlass or rotary-drum made to reel a thread in, to which has been pre-attached at regular spaced intervals a plurality of individual conventional paper-clips. The different pages of a music-book are thus turned across right-to-left, as the left situated drum is turned reeling-in the thread, the paper-clips becoming pulled-off of each succeeding page.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,570,154 (filed: December 1968) is shown an electric page-turning apparatus employing a swingarm having a magnetic attractor-element which deploys against ferrous-clips necessarily attached to succeeding pages of a music-book for example; while a remote-switch can be foot-operated to actuate every page turning sequence.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,608,420 (filed: June 1969) shows a manual page-turning apparatus employing a plurality of individual vertical stay-rods swinging outset from the swing-axis arranged along the spine of the exemplified music-book. A stay-rod is necessarily pre-positioned between each succeeding page of the book, while a manually operated rotary-arm arranged coaxially with the swing-axis, causes each page to be flipped-over as desired.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,665,093 (filed: September 1970) contemplates the use of an electric-motor upon which axis is fitted a simple driver/cord-pulley, in cooperation with a laterally spaced apart second cord/idler-pulley. Also included is a parallel guide-wire, whereby page-clips affixed both to the continuously traversing pulley-cord and to the stabilizing guide-wire, act to draw pages successively from right-to-left upon activation of the motor. The apparatus is mounted upon a podium, and a remote-control motor foot/actuation-switch is included, enabling the musician to keep their hands free to play their musical-instrument.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,732,773 (filed: September 1971) another page-turning apparatus is shown employing a complex array of individual interstitially pre-positioned page-turning swingarms serving to flip-over pages 180-degrees as desired.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,939,587 (filed: February 1974) is described an electric pager-turning apparatus employing a transversely actuated rubber-roller, which translates right-to-left across successive pages of an open book; and includes a transparent cover-panel acting to hold the pages substantially flat in place for viewing. Relatively cumbersome physically, the machine is designed primarily for handicap persons.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,031,644 (filed: April 1976) is shown a simple electrically powered page-turning apparatus for a book laying horizontally upon it's spine, comprising a swingarm aligned parallel with the spine of a music-book. The swingarm having a friction-wheel arranged coaxially thereto, which initially scuffs open a succeeding page; whereupon a radially extending gravity dependent scuffing-finger acts to finally flip-over the initially raised page.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,072,080 (filed: February 1976) is shown a special standing-rack for holding sheet-music, the vertical-axis of the rack includes a plurality of concentric-sleeves which are each selectively rotated one at a time, each sleeve thereby successively turning a given horizontally disposed swingarm supporting a page of sheet-music; including a foot-operated sequencing-switch.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,644,675 (filed: February 1985) shows a music-book page-turning apparatus employing a flat-disk which lays centrally across the upper-seam between two adjoining pages; the electric-motor driven disk having a radial-finger portion, rotates under a page when an adjoining friction-wheel creates a raised-curl of the right-hand page. When the flat-finger has rotated under the next successive page, it's continued clockwise-rotation enables it to actually flip-over the page; however, the friction-roller tends to obscure a portion of the upper/right-hand page.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,719,712 (filed: October 1984 via France) is shown a piano-shelf mountable music-book page-turning apparatus, wherein is proposed either a suction-tube page-lifting method, an electrostatic page-lifting method, or a friction-wheel method having either triangular or polygonal cross-section as a means of attaining a raised-curl to the page. Any of the three methods thus offering a means by which to lift the right-hand page of a music-book, whereupon the carriage supporting the lifting-device translates transversely from right-to-left until the page is said to be effectively flipped-over as it were.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,936,034 (filed: April 1989) shows a book page-turning apparatus having two rotary-arms arranged at the upper end of a book's spine, so that one arm acts to stay the left-hand page, while the other arm acts (such as via suction lifting means) to swing the succeeding page from right-to-left.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,545,141 (filed: September 1984 to NCR-corp.) is shown an "automatic document page turning apparatus" employing a page-turning roller in co-action with a page-lifting roller-wheel which acts to turn-over individual pages of a music-book for example.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,052,266 (filed: April 1990) is shown a page-turning apparatus comprising a support-stand and a plurality of page-like panels into which opposite sides are pre-attached in desired order the music-sheets. A foot-powered teleflex-cable driving mechanism serves to sequence the 180-degree page-turning action.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,203,248 (filed: February 1992) shows a page-turning apparatus such as for turning pages of sheet-music via individual tabs clipped to each sheet. The tabs are coupled to an endless-belt member driven by an electric-motor, which is said to draw the tabs from right-to-left upon command of a foot-switch.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,247,755 (filed: January 1991) shows a page-turning apparatus for a camera-copier system, wherein a rotary/suction-head is applied to a page, and is then transulated transversely across from right-to-left to effect a 180-degree page-turn sequence.
Therefore, in full consideration of the preceding patent review, there is determined a need for an improved form of device to which these patents have been largely addressed. The instant inventor hereof believes their greatly simplified page-sequencing or page-changer apparatus, commercially referred to as the PAGEMINDER.TM., currently being developed for production under the auspices of Cowan-Mfg./Mkt.Co., exhibits certain advantages over page-turning apparatus, as shall be revealed and systematically set forth in the subsequent portion of this instant disclosure.